Post #2515655

2026-05-11 09:41 UTC

@tempusfelix@wehavecookies.social I did have a deeper point here! We think about the "level" of pain, but the duration and how it ebs also matter. Low grade pain that never stops could be more disruptive than intense pain that mostly goes away. Pain is a signal from the body. Pain is not the natural result of damage to the body, it's how we know to protect our body from damage and it helps us to stay still and allow for healing. Pain may force us to rest, stay still, or "do something" about injury.

Replies (2)

@futurebird@sauropods.win 2026-05-11 09:43

@tempusfelix@wehavecookies.social But pain can also be out of proportion, unhelpful or the result of a wrong signal. Pain leaves a lasting impact on the mind. It changes you. Being in pain for a long time can make you a different person. I thought about this a great deal while recovering from the broken leg. It's very odd how we allow pain to have a kind of moral dimension. Odd but not surprising.

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@tempusfelix@wehavecookies.social 2026-05-11 09:47

@futurebird@sauropods.win Absolutely agree. The pain that lurks in the background, constantly gnawing at your soul can be more debilitating that short lived acute pain and can be much harder to manage. I have seen pain etch away people, neurogenic from spinal injury but very real in every sense. As you say, it changes them. Always believe the person when they tell you, they know themselves best. And sometimes the hardest thing is when there is no obvious solution to that pain, it can be really hard to admit that.

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